It is common for medical practitioners, particularly dentists, to use tools held in tool holders which are fixed to a support. In a common arrangement, there are a plurality of tools supplied by a single compressed air source for applying air and/or water to the mouth of a patient for drilling and cleaning of their teeth. Suction devices for applying suction to the mouth of a patient are also supported on a holder. The tools are held in a tool holder which extends from a structure of furniture such as, for example, an operating chair on which the patient is seated during treatment, or a mobile cart.
In at least some jurisdictions, to avoid cross-contamination, it is a requirement that dental tool holders are cleaned between treating patients (or that a physical barrier is placed between the tool and the holder). However, the applicant has identified that in many instances a dental practitioner may not adequately clean the tool holder, either through negligence or through the inability to adequately clean the intricate shaping of the tool holder, and may not place a physical barrier between the holder and the tool.
The present invention seeks to overcome or at least alleviate the problems discussed above.